5G Mobile Phone Signal Booster

Nov 07, 2018 | by Mobile Repeater UK

The Shift To 5G Network And The Need For 5G Signal Boosters

To shed more light on 5G signal boosters, it is prudent touch about on the 5G network. Different companies are testing the next generation of internet technology, the 5G. Given the growing volume of mobile data usage, the sensible thing for the mobile phone user is to get familiar with 5G.

An increase of 74% in mobile data was noted in 2018, and that means a significant number of users who will be significantly affected when the shift to 5G takes place. The information below sheds more light on what 5G is, its uniqueness from its 4G counterpart, and how it related to 4G and 5G mobile phone boosters.

What Is 5G?

5G is the next thing in as far as cellular technology is concerned. It is the next leap in the wireless connectivity. The advancement has three main elements that inject significant improvements in utilisation of current and the next breed of mobile devices.

With 5G that can transmit 10,000 times more traffic compared to 4G, users can enjoy:

Faster data speeds (up by 100%) that can include more than 10Gbps

Better responses that reduced latency that is less than 1 millisecond

Simultaneous connectivity across many devices meaning an ultra-reliability

The devices that support 5G will have an M2M (machine to machine) battery life of ten years.

The Difference Between 4G Signal And 5G Signal

Different players in the mobile communications industry have a high expectation for 5G that it will surpass what 4G LTE has to offer; however, there are no guarantees. Some of the influential factors include limitations in terms of coverage area and topography among others. Moreover, several international governing bodies set the standards for the development of every new technology.

The "G" used to in identify the networks (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G) signifies "Generation" and the release of a new generation is done after a decade. 1G, the first technology that lay the foundations of the others was released in 1982; from there, the release of the next generations was as follows:

1991 - 2G - providing talk and text services only.

1998 - 3G - having talk, text, and internet access services.

2007 - 4G - supporting talk, text, internet access and video

Come 2020 things will leap forward with UltraHD, 3D video and Smart home added to the talk, text, internet access and current video services. Such advancements will have a profound effect on our everyday way of life and dependency on mobile technology. So we can only imagine the grandeur that will come with 6G in 2030.

Currently, many of the mobile phones in the market support 4G LTE which was an upgrade of the standard 4G but never met the cut qualifying it to be called 5G.

The state of things right now is of uncertainties because ITU and 3GPP are yet to give an official guideline of the standards for 5G. Nevertheless, these governing bodies plan to do so by 2020. Well, the release may be done retroactively as is the case of that of 4G and 4G LTE whose recognition come years after the technology rolled out and implemented in the real world.

Remarkably, many of the mobile devices available in the market said to support 4G fail to meet the standards. As such, even a few versions of 4G LTE that are up to scratch when it comes to the 4G standard.

Be it as it may with the current state of things, many players in the tech industries agree that 5G will be a mashup of different unutilized and underutilised technologies such as the massive MIMO. The MIMO technology is based on the use of multiple antennas at a base station or on a device to increase signal strength and speeds. With such a capacity, 5G will be to support a vast number of smaller cells, and that means that the mobile phones will be available in different sizes functioning at higher capacities than what we have today. The result of all that will be seamless connectivity and utilisation of various technologies for the users. For the 5G technology to work, there must be new infrastructure as well as upgrading of the old.

How Fast Is 5G?

It is speculated that 5G will be anywhere between 10 - 100 times faster than 4G. What that means is the users will be able to enjoy download speeds of about 10Gbps. For instance, Nokia claims to have put 5G to the test and revealed it could provide up to 30Gbps. Now that is a thousand times faster than what we enjoy from 4G.

However, the technology experts anticipate lesser latency with the introduction of 5G. If that is so, then downloading an HD movie will be a matter of seconds.

But if we consider the use of the smartphones today, then not may users will see any significant difference between 4G LTE and 5G. Things such as trees, hills, and building that obstruction mobile signals, as well as the distance for the nearest cell towers, may still be elements that reduce the mobile reception.

What Can 5G Do For You?

Two words - better and faster; that is kind of signal receptions the mobile user should expect with 5G. That means fast download of vast amounts of data. Think of it this way, 4G is like having a road where two vehicles can move along a two-lane at a time in either direction; now with 5G, you have a ten-lane superhighway with only super cars that can carry many people using the road at the time in either direction.

The technology will see mobile carriers develop new smartphones, routers, and modems that will see them go toe to toe with the broadband cable companies in providing internet access services in the cities and rural areas. Such an outreach in the delivery of internet connectivity in the countryside will require a countrywide deployment of 5G. Other kinds of internet access devices will also be developed, and this may include wearable 5G gadgets such as smartwatches. The technology may also feature in other things such as the autonomous vehicles as well as smart street lights. So, we can expect to see the age of driver less transportation where cars can detect and respond to street lights as well as detect and communicate with other cars.

The 5G infrastructure will be very different from what is in use for 4G since it will need a network of close-knit antennas as opposed to the current set up of cell towers used for 4G. Towns will be riddled with small antennas that can be hidden or installed in plain sight. Perhaps laws will be in place that dictates the extent of the camouflage for the hidden antennas.

With the introduction of 5G will be the need for a new breed of mobile phones and some will have multiple inbuilt antennas. Such a signal reception capacity may have you thinking that these phones will need frequent recharging, but it is expected that the devices will use up less power thus having a longer usage time between recharges.

When To Expect 5G

Experts anticipate the official deployment of 5G to be the year 2020, but some of the major cities in the world may start enjoying 5G in late 2019. In the UK, some mobile phone carriers are hopeful of having 5G rolled out in major cities across different states by the end of this year with other laying plans for the same to be done in the coming year (2019).

The expected shift means that smartphone manufacturers will have to make plans for the mass production of 5G phones so that they can keep up with the projected demand. If all these new developments are factored together, then the most probable launch date for 5G will be in the year 2020.

Interestingly, the rollout of 5G may first be seen in "hotspots" and ripple spreading from there, but this will still see 4G being predominant in the rural areas even if and when 5G technology becomes available nationwide.

Do Any Of The Current Smartphones Support 5G?

The lack of an existing standard for 5G and a working 5G network means there are mobile phones in the market that can support 5G. Moreover, it will be some time before the smartphone manufacturer know when to start producing such devices, although some manufacturers are in the development stages.

With 5G expected to be available in about two years from now, it only makes sense to buy a new phone that supports the network once the 5G infrastructure is available in your location.

Will Signal Boosters Be Necessary With The Arrival Of 5G?

5G will be characterised by a point-to-point communication that bypasses home networks; therefore, the use of signal boosters will be necessary. Mobile-based video streaming is likely to rise in homes, and the office thanks to the arrival of the 5G network and such a demand will increase the need for mobile phone signal boosters.

Experts project that signal blockage will be a major issue when it comes to enjoying 5G given the extent of the limitations that are in place. Many of the new homes have energy-efficient materials such as low-e glass, insulations, and other kinds of innovative building materials; that coupled with the geography of your location may necessitate the need to get 5G signal boosters, come the year 2020 when the 5G network is expected to be available.

While we are still enjoying 4G LTE and it being more the same what we will get during the initial stages of the 5G deployment, the notable difference between the two is the fact that 5G will not require cell towers. The network will be relayed across thousands of small antennas installed in different areas but with proximity to each other. Home may enjoy faster speeds without the need for a Wi-Fi network thanks to the exceptional 5G coverage.

What Will The Arrival 5G Mean For Mobile Phone Signal Boosters?

The availability of 5G is inevitable; it is only a matter of when (the office date). But what all this mean for the mobile phone signal boosters? The future is promising for these devices since geography, and the building materials used for construction are some of the things that will reduce signal reception thus necessitating the need for a 5G signal booster.

Will The Current 4G Cell Phone Signal Boosters Become Dated When 5G Rolls Out?

The existing 4G signal boosters will do little to help when the 5G mobile phones fail to detect any 5G signals; this is because diverting back to 4G will not work as is the case for 4G diverting back to 3G when the reception is weak. Such an outcome is inevitable because:

A). The initial rollout for the 5G coverage area will be in a few cities thus coverage will be limited.

B). Compared to the 4G frequencies, those of the 5G network have a weaker penetration power, and thus devices will have to default to closed alternative, the 4G LTE - which is do little to help.

Given the type of smartphones available (that support 5G), the best move will be to use a signal booster to help the phones stay connected and for you to enjoy the benefits of the 5G network that include data speeds that can be a high as 10Gbps. But even then, the 4G LTE network will continue to be in use and will have the backup support of the 4G frequencies that the carriers operate today.

Will 4G LTE Boosters Continue To Work For 4G Networks?

Billions of pounds have gone into the development and utilisation of the 4G LTE frequency spectrums used today for talk, text and data. As such, it is naturally expected that the frequencies will still be in use even after the deployment of the 5G technology so that phones that fall back to 4G if there is weak or no 5G coverage in some places.

Therefore, much of the use of 4G LTE will be as a backup, as is evidenced by the continued use of 3G networks. The same uncertainties were there when 4G was launched ten years ago, and 3G signal boosters were feared may become obsolete.

3G smartphones and 3G signal boosters are still available since such devices are still used across the UK and Ireland. The same goes for 4G and the 4G signal boosters even as the roll-out of 5G is an inevitable outcome come the year 2020.